This invention relates generally to battery powered devices, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus that provide for the displaying of battery status.
Many different devices including mobile x-ray imaging devices are battery powered. A user must thus plan his or her work based on the amount of charge remaining in the device's batteries. Typically, a state of charge (SOC) is shown using a bar graph or a numerical percentage of the total charge of a fully charged battery. However, this percentage can be difficult for the user to interpret. For example, when the batteries in a device are older, the bar graph will decrease at a faster rate. This battery rate drain change is unknown to the user until it happens. Experienced users may be able to translate the number of bars remaining into a usable format in their heads, but an inexperienced or infrequent user may not be able to make the translation.
It would therefore be desirable to, instead of displaying to the user that the percentage of total battery charge, but rather, to display a device specific metric related to battery life wherein the metric is other than the percentage of total battery charge. Additionally, some facilities have multiple mobile devices with different levels of charge and it would be desirable to be able to match specific devices based on each device's charge level and location in a facility to specific exams at specific locations.